Ahead Of America’s 250th Birthday, A Photographer Finds Unity In Tarnished State Quarters

“E Pluribus Unum,” aliases “Out of many, one.”

That phrase, engraved connected immoderate quarters photographer Blaise Hayward was counting successful his New York City room successful July 2023, intrigued him. They were marks of nan 50 State Quarters, a bid of coins issued by nan U.S. Mint from 1999 to 2008 for which each coin featured a awesome representing 1 of nan 50 states.

With Hayward’s increasing interest astir nan vitriolic information of American politics, nan building felt resonant.

Blaise Hayward looks complete printed useful of his “America ~ The Statehood Quarters” series.

(Blake Ogden)

That infinitesimal sparked his photograph series, “America ~ The Statehood Quarters,” and sent him connected a quest to nan slope to find each coin. Now a postulation of 50 images, 1 for each state’s quarter, nan bid explores American unity, shared history and changeless exchange.

“My extremity was to stitchery these coins and coming them successful a cohesive, inclusive manner. Every authorities is represented,” Hayward said. “Everybody’s equal. It’s astir equality, representation.”

Those willing tin find his photos on his website, wherever he sells editioned images of nan coins, ranging from $1,200 to $5,000.

Ahead of nan United States’ 250th day connected Saturday, Hayward reflects connected nan bid and its relevance today.

This question and reply has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Your photographs punctual maine of portraits. As ample close-ups, each 4th has a unsocial character. Tell maine astir your attack to capturing them.

I started my profession successful nan 1980s, and I was an analog photographer. I was precocious to digital. These are each captured digitally, arsenic is astir of my activity now, but nan astir important facet to my activity is that it has an analog consciousness to it.

My extremity was to coming it arsenic realistically and honestly arsenic possible. I photographed them arsenic they are, and I besides do that pinch my portraiture. I’m a image photographer astatine heart, and portraiture is my first love. But I’ve recovered pinch my good creation profession that unless they’re celebrated people, group aren’t drawn to buying portraits and hanging them successful their house. But they are drawn to still life, truthful a batch of my artwork now is centered connected still life. My image inheritance astir apt played a subconscious domiciled successful really I presented nan quarters.

The California authorities quarter.

(Blaise Hayward)

In your photographs, nan quarters are aged and tarnished, not shiny and new. Why?

That was important to me. If you spell onto Wikipedia and type successful “Statehood Quarters,” they photographed each 50 of them. They’re bright, shiny, correct retired of nan Mint. I made a conscious determination to photograph them successful circulation. I wanted them to emulate nan hands they’ve passed done and exemplify nan history of nan state and nan state.

How do you deliberation astir nan group who held these quarters successful narration to nan task arsenic a whole?

I deliberation it tells nan communicative of commerce and nan communicative of exchange. I ideate location are a mates successful location wherever group saved up immoderate quarters and bought thing personal. Some of these quarters could’ve been collected by children, and past they could’ve gone retired and bought their first candy bar. Or they could’ve put nan quarters successful nan soda fountain instrumentality and sewage a Coca-Cola and been truthful excited.

I’m very attached to coins and bills. I spot nan artistry successful it. It’s unfortunate that we’re going toward a nine wherever we won’t person that tactile emotion anymore. There’s a quality betwixt holding a fistful of money and paying for a bully than pulling your telephone retired and tapping.

The Delaware authorities quarter.

(Blaise Hayward)

You’re primitively from Toronto, and person lived successful New York for nan past 30 years. How has surviving successful nan U.S. arsenic an migrant shaped nan measurement you comprehend America and correspond it successful this series?

It allows maine to beryllium an outsider looking in. I emotion nan truth that I’m Canadian. It’s a badge of grant for me. It allows maine to person a much sympathetic, wider and different knowing of what it’s for illustration to unrecorded successful nan States.

With nan “Statehood Quarters,” I don’t cognize if it influenced maine erstwhile I photographed nan project. I was conscionable successful awe of nan history. If you commencement reference astir nan States and really nan full state came together, each of nan group that made that travel were immigrants. Unless you’re Native American, we’re each immigrants here. I thought astir that a mates of times because I was reference astir nan group that started it all.

Your bid centers unity successful a clip of utmost divisiveness successful American politics, whether it’s surrounding nan national crackdown connected migration aliases LGBTQ+ rights, among different issues. What does “unity” look for illustration to you successful this context? What do you consciousness Americans should beryllium agreed on?

Americans could guidelines to beryllium agreed connected what a awesome state this is, moreover though astatine this coming infinitesimal it’s not emotion for illustration that for everybody. America is simply a awesome country. It’s been a beacon of populist since its founding, and countries each complete nan world person held it successful specified precocious esteem.

Without giving distant my governmental leanings — I don’t moreover mean to spell location — sadly, successful this coming moment, I don’t deliberation nan state is showing its champion self. We could guidelines to return a measurement backmost and bespeak connected nan history and unity of nan country. We could guidelines immoderate compassion. We could guidelines immoderate understanding. We could guidelines to beryllium amended listeners.

We don’t ever person to agree. It’s conscionable vitriol retired there. It’s tearing nan state apart. I deliberation it will beryllium a corporate effort connected some sides of nan aisle for america to travel together and dial nan power down.

I’m hoping that connected this 250th anniversary, group put their governmental leanings speech and observe America. It’s sewage truthful overmuch imaginable to beryllium that beacon again, that leader successful nan world. At nan extremity of nan day, why can’t we conscionable clasp “E Pluribus Unum”? Out of many, we are one. We are 1 nation.

For galore people, America’s 250th day will beryllium a clip of ceremony and patriotism. For galore others, it will beryllium a clip of disapproval and protest. How do you consciousness your bid engages each of these attitudes?

I dream that group look astatine nan bid and look astatine nan state successful a broader stroke, and say, “Wow. What an astonishing collection. This ‘Statehood Quarters’ postulation is truthful inclusive and symbolic of this awesome nation. Look astatine each these beautiful coins from these beautiful states.”

Kansas is 1 of my favourite coins. I’ve ne'er been to Kansas, but nan coin successful nan postulation made maine admit nan state. It has gotten maine reasoning I’d for illustration to sojourn each authorities and meet nan group and person a repast and spot what they’re for illustration and spot nan landscape. I dream this postulation inspires group to observe nan state arsenic a full alternatively than looking astatine it authorities to state.

The Kansas Statehood Quarter.

(Blaise Hayward)

What does it mean to “celebrate nan country”?

I’m an outdoor personification and a quality person. For me, it intends celebrating nan land, and pinch that, celebrating nan group successful that land.

I was listening to personification connected nan power who was present for nan World Cup. They were from Morocco, and they said each personification they’ve met successful New York has been truthful nice.

It’s clip for this state to commencement being nicer to each other. I dream this task helps group beryllium a small spot much benignant to each other, a small spot much tolerant, a small spot much understanding, a small spot much loving and a small spot much hospitable.